Self-supporting stocking.



G. GRAHAM.

SELF SUDPORTING STOCKING.

APPLICATIOL' FILED AUG. 12, 190B.

941 1 93. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

n l r v R w l 15 h 1 0 In WITNESSES W Y INVENTOH W MMHHHWWM feorye Graham ATTORNEYS GEORGE GRAHAM, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

SELF-SUPPORTING STOCKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Application filed August 12, 1908. Serial No. 448,141.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE GRAHAM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of New York, Douglaston, borough of Queens, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Self-Supportin Stocking, of which the following is a fu 1, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in stockings, and more particularly to the means employed for supporting said stocking.

In my improved construction, I so form the upper portion of the stocking that it in itself constitutes a garter, so that no separate supporting means need be employed. The upper portion of the stocking constitutes a gripping portion which encircles the leg of thewearer, and engages therewith in such a manner that the downward pullof the body of the stocking tends to increase the gripping action. The upper portion of the stocking is extendible upwardly in respect to the body of the stocking, so as to assume a substantially diagonal position in respect to the general direction of the length of the stocking, and this diagonally-disposed portion when pulled downwardly by the body of the stocking, binds against the leg, so that its downward movement is thus retarded if not entirely prevented.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both bands constitute gripping port ons and the the figures, land in which Figure 1 1s a perspective view illustrating 1 my improved construction of stocking in use; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of my improved stocking on a larger scalethan Fig. 1.

In the specific form of stocking illustrated in the aconipanying drawings, there is provided. the customary body portion 10,-which differs in no essential particular from the body portion of an. ordinary stocking. Formed integral with the stocking and sub- I 'stantially parallel to the upper edge 11 thereof, I provide two separate bands 12 and l3, each of substantially the same diameter as the upper portion of the stocking body. The bandl2 is connected to the upper edgeof the-body of the stocking by oppositely-disposed substantially vertical connecting portions 1 and 15, the former of porting the body of which is at the front of the stocking, while the latter is at the rear. The upper band 13 isconnected to the first-mentioned band 12 by oppositely-disposed vertically-extending connecting portions 16 and 17, but these two connecting portions are disposed alternately in respect to the connecting portions 14 and 15, that is, the two connecting portions 16 and 17 are at the sides of the stocking rather than at the front and at the back. The bands and connecting portions may be formed in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by cutting away a portion of the material to leave substantially rectangular transverse slots separating the bands from each other and from the body, or the stocking may be knitted directly in the form illustrated. V l

In the use of my improved stocking, the body of the stocking is drawn up so that it fits smoothly, and the upper bands are drawn upwardly, so as to slightly distort the material and cause the portions of the bands to assume diagonally-disposed positions. The opposite .side portions of the band 12 will be drawn upwardly intermediate'the two connecting portions 14 and 15, and the front and back portions of the upper band'will be drawn upwardly so that the front half of the band 13 lies in substantially the same diagonal plane as the backhalf of the band 12 and the back half of the band 13'lies in the same general diagonal plane as the front half of the band 12. These two diagonal planes intersect at the connecting portions 16 and 17. The

more the body of the stocking is pulled downwardly, the tighter these gripping portions will engage with the leg of-the wearer, .due to the diagonal distribution of the strain. The body of the stocking is di rectly supported at the front and at the rear rather than upon the sides as is common when separate garters are employed. The position of the foot in respect to the leg varies continually while walking and the variation is far greater at the front and back than it is at the sides. Therefore, by supthe stocking at the front and back, it is kept smooth and prevented from sagging.

I Only two bands are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and each of these is connected to the other by only two vertically-extending connecting portions, but it is evident that any desired number of bands and any desired number of connecting portions may be employed.

In the above description and in the claims,

I have employed the term stocking, but I desire this term to be considered broadly to cover any fabric foot covering, as, for instance, socks, hose, half-hose, and the like.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secureby Letconstitute stocking-supporting members.

2. A stocking having an annular band connected to the body ofyt-he stockin by a plurality of connecting ortions, sai band normally lying in a single plane at substantially right angles to the general direction of the length of the stocking, the portions of said band intermediate said connecting portions being movable upwardly to each lie in a separate plane at an angle to the first-mentioned plane.

3. A stocking having an annular band connected to the body of the stocking by a plurality of connecting portions, and a second annular band connected to the firstmentioned band by a plurality of connecting portions, portions being secured to the first-mentioned band intermediate the first-mentioned connecting portions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE GRAHAM.

' Witnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, EVERARD B. MARSHALL.

the last-mentioned connecting. 

